Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, Held in 1867 and 1868 in the City of Albany Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 edition. Excerpt: ...State votes not by virtue of any citizenship of the United States, but votes by virtue of his citizenship and as a citizen of the State of New York, and that this Convention, as representing the people has the right to restrict and limit such right to vote in such manner as it may deem wise or expedient, and that the right of this State in that regard cannot be interfered with. It is true, sir, that under the proposed 14th amend ment to the Federal Constitution already referred to, all persons born or naturalized in the United States are declared to be citizens of the United States. It is true also that in that amendment there is held out the idea that a citizen of the United States has the right as such to vote for officers in the State of New York. As I have already said, in my judgment every person who votes for an office within the gift of the people in this State votes not as a citizen of the United States but as a citizen of the State of New York, and in my opinion the people of this State have the right to deny to citizens of the United States as well as to all other persons the right to vote in this State except under such restriction and qualification as they may choose to impose and require. If the intimation thrown out by the gentleman from Rockland Mr. Conger that all persons, male citizens of the United States as such, and by virtue of such citizenship will be entitled, under the amendment referred to, to vote in this State, the labors of this Convention will be entirely useless. On such principle our work will be of no avail, because we are here for the very purpose, among others, of prescribing the conditions upon which individuals shall vote in this State, and the report of the Committee on Suffrage as originally reported, and the...